Valve



Nov. 3,1953 A. J. FAUSEK ETAL 2,657,704

VALVE Filed Dec. 29, 1947 INVENTORS ARTHUR J. FAUSEK IRWING F. FAUSEK ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES 2,657,704 VALVE Arthur J. Fausek and Irwing F. Fausek, Clayton, Mo.

Application December 29, 1947, Serial No. 794,272

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates generally to valves and more specifically to valves adapted primarily for use with containers wherein pressure may vary because of expansion of material contained in the containers, such expansion, with consequent increased pressure within the containers, being due, for instance, to; temperature rise, or fermentation or chemical reaction of the-material itself, or because of the admittance of increased pressure from an outside source, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a valve adapted for the use referred to above which because of, itsimproved construction and arrangement is capable'of performing its intendedfunction in an improved andhighly efficient manner.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an improved valv which is of such improved construction and arrangement that it may serve, as is mentioned above, as a pressure relief and safety valve for a container, and also as, a pressure inlet valve for facilitating introduction. of pressure intoa container with which the valve is associated.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section taken through the improved valve of this invention.

Fig. 2 is a. horizontal sectionctaken on line 2-'2 of Fig; 1.

Fig. 3- isa horizontal sectiontaken on line..3,3 of Fig;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on 1ine,44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on .line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevationaldetail of a part of a fitting which is employedinthe use of the valve ofthe present invention. I

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustratinga modified form of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating another modified form of the. nvention.

Fig. 9 isa fragmentary view partly-in elevation and partly in vertical section showing a closure which maybe employed with the, valve of this invention under certain circumstances.

In the drawing, wherein are shownfor purposes of illustration, merely, several embodiments of the invention, A designates the improved valve generally. I'he valve A comprises a body. portion 1, whichlisprovided witha circumferential wall 2 and a bottom wall 3, said body portion being provided with an annular, outstanding flange t at-its upper end. The bottom wall, 3 of the body portion l has formed therethrcugh a plurality of apertures 5, said aperturestended: upwardly from: the bottom wall of the body portion l is an annular valve seat 6;. The

. body portion l ofthe-valve A has formed within,

the lower portion thereof an annular shoulder 1 which inclines outwardly and downwardly, as is shown to good advantage in Fig. 1.

Supported in the. lower portion of the body portion l of the valve A is a closure member which is in the form of a circular diaphragm 8, said diaphragm having a flared outer marginal portion whose lower outwardly and downwardly inclined, annular face contacts with the annular shoulder 7 within the lower portion of. the valve body portion. The outer portion ofthe diaphragm is secured in place by a cylindrical shell 9 which is disposed within the body portion I above said diaphragm, said shell having an inturned, annular flange 10 which contacts with a marginal portion of the top face of the diaphragm 8. The top edge of the circumferential wall of the shell 9 is contacted by a member H which is substantially circular in shape (see Fig. 3) and said member hasprojections 12 extended outwardly from themarginal edge thereof which are received in recesses l3 formed in the inner face of the circumferential wall of. the valve body portion l. The upper portion of the body portion l of the valve. A is internally screwthreaded, as is indicated at M in Fig. 1-, and this screwthreaded portion screwthreadedly receives a spanner nut [5, said spanner nut being screwed downwardly into forcible contact with the top fac of the member ll whereby th shell 9' is moved downwardly so as totightly grip themarginal portion of the diaphragm 8 between the lower flange [0 of said shell and the shoulder 1 within. the lower portion of the valve body portion.

Disposed centrally within the body portion l of the valve A and extended vertically thereof is an elongated element 16 which has a passageway ll formed therethrough from end to end thereof. The element 16 is provided. at its lower end with an outwardly extended, annular flange l8 and the lower face of said element l6 contacts with the top face of the diaphragm, the lower face of the diaphragm normally contacting with the upper edge of the annular valve seat 6. The element It is securedto the diaphragm by suitable fastening devices I9, the shanks of said fastening devices extending through openings that are formed through a ring 20 Whose-topface contacts with the bottom face of the: diaphragm, and through openings formed through the diaphragm'which are alined with the openings of the ring; with the heads of the fastening devices contacting with the bottom face of said ring 26; The member H is provided with a centrally located opening ll formed therethrough through which the element lfiextends, said element being provided with outwardly extending projections. 2!. which are received inrecesses 22 formed in the marginal face of said opening H so as to prevent axial rotation of the elongated element It. Also, the element E is provided, at points adjacent to the upper end thereof, with pin-like projections 23 which are alined transversely of said element and extend outwardly in opposite directions.

Arranged in embracing relation with respect to the element I6 is a coil spring 24, said coil spring being under compression and contacting at one end with the top face of the flange 18 of said element It and at its opposite end with the bottom face of the member II. The coil spring 24 tends to move the element 16 in a downward direction and as a result of this situation the bottom face of the diaphragm 8 is forced into close, sealing contact with the top edge of the annular valve seat 6, the projections 2! of said element it moving within the recesses 22 of the member H and serving to guide said element It for movement longitudinally of the valve body portion l. At the extreme lower end of the element 16 a tubular, thin walled, downwardly projected extension 25 is provided (Fig. l). I'his extension projects through an'opening formed centrally through the diaphragm 8 and the lower end portion of said extension is peened outwardly so as to clamp the portion of the diaphragm at the margin of the centrally located opening thereof to the element II.

Disposed within the passageway I! of the element I6 is a stem 26 which is provided with rounded opposite ends, the rounded lower end of said stem being seated in a depression 2'! formed in the bottom wall of the body portion I of the valve A. The stem is provided with pins 28 which extend radially from said stem and contact at their outer ends with the wall of the passageway I! of the element 56 so as to maintain said stem centrally within said passageway. The stem 26 is provided with an annular flange 29 which is located adjacent to the lower end thereof and is of greater diameter than the passageway I! through the element it so as to prevent unintended displacement of said stem from said passageway.

As an example, merely, of a use to which the improved valve of this invention may be put it will be assumed that the valve is used in association with a beer barrel. As is well known to persons familiar with such matters, it frequently happens that the beer is not entirely withdrawn from a beer barrel, when it is discarded as empty, nor is the CO2 pressure entirely exhausted therefrom. In such a case a rising pressure is produced within the barrel due to warming of the gas and chemical reaction and fermentation of the beer remaining in the barrel, and this pressure may rise to a point where it would become hazardous. However, in the use of the improved valve of the present invention with a beer barrel in which internal pressure becomes excessively high, the pressure moving through the apertures 5 and acting against the lower face of the diaphragm 8 will deflect the inner portion of the diaphragm upwardly away from the annular valve seat 5 against the opposing force of the coil spring 24, and thus permit the pres-- sure to be exhausted through the passageway IT.

The improved valve of this invention may be employed as an inlet valve for admitting CO2, or other gas, from an outside source, into a beer barrel in order that sufiicient pressure may be present in the barrel to force its contents through an associated distribution system. When the improved valve is subjected to such use a fitting 30 is employed to which is connected a hose, or other conductor (not shown) which leads to the fitting from a source of supply of the gas. The fitting 30 has a passageway 3| formed therethrough through which gas passes, and said fitting is provided with a handle 32 which facilitates rotating the fitting. The fitting 3i! has set into a recess provided therefor a spider 33 which is adapted to contact with the top of the stem 26 when the fitting 30 is applied to the valve A, said spider being provided with a curved depression which receives the rounded top por tion of the stem 26.

The lower portion of the fitting 30 provides a socket which fits over the upper portion of the element [6, there being a body of packing material 34 disposed within the upper portion of said socket with which the upper, rounded end of the wall of the element i6 contacts for providing a fluid-tight joint between the fitting 3E] and said element [6. The fitting 3%! is provided with opposed cam portions 35 which, when the fitting is applied to the upper portion of the element l6 and is rotated in the proper direction, will move beneath the projections 23 of said element 16 and cam said projections and said element upwardly against the force exerted by the coil spring 24 so as to raise the inner portion of the diaphragm 8 away from the annular valve seat 6. With the inner portion of the diaphragm so raised from the annular valve seat 6 gas may flow from a source of supply through the passageway 3! of the fitting 30 into the barrel by way of the passageway i'l through the element It and the apertures 5 in the bottom wall of the body portion I of the valve. It is to be noted that in the event highly excessive pressure were accidentally introduced into a barrel provided with the improved valve of this invention in the manner described immediately above, such highly excessive pressure would rupture the diaphragm and escape into the upper portion of the valve body portion and would be exhausted therefrom through spaces between the member H and adjacent parts of the upper portion of the valve.

The valve of the present invention may also be employed as a discharge valve for withdrawing the fluid contents of a container. When the valve is so employed a tapping fitting constructed and arranged in accordance with the fitting 38 is applied to the valve and is operated as has been previously explained herein to move the diaphragm 8 away from the annular valve seat 6. This will permit fluid to flow from the container through the apertures 5 of the body portion I of the valve, through the passageway H of the element l6, through the passageways of the fitting and a hose connected to said fitting and to a distribution system to which the hose is connected.

Fig. 7 illustrates a modified form of the invention in accordance with which the bottom wall 3a of the valve body portion la is a separate and independent part which is secured to the circumferential wall of said body portion by fastening devices 35. When constructed as is shown in Fig. 7 the marginal portion of the diaphragm 8a is clamped between the top face of a portion of the bottom Wall 3a of the body portion la and the lower face of the circumferential Wall of said body portion la, the fastening devices passing through openings formed through said diaphragm.

Fig. 8 illustrates another modified form of the invention according to-whichthe circumferential wall of the body portion lb OfthfiwVBslVQ ispro.- vided, with a screwthreaded cavity 3,1: atits-lower end, this screwthreaded cavity screwt-hreadedly receiving the removable bottom wall 322 of the valve body portion which is externallyscrewthreaded. The marginal portion of the diaphragm 8b of the structure illustrated by Fig; 8 is clamped between annular, inclinedshoulder 38 formed within the'valve body portion them! an annular washer 39 which, is of wedge-shape cross-sectional shape. Instead of employing a coil spring for urging the element Nib downward- 1y, as in Fig. 1, a tubular member 48 formeol'of rubber, or other resilient material, isemployed for this purpose in Fig. 8.

By referring to Fig. 9 it will be noted that a cap 4i may be employed to cover the outer end of the passageway H of the element i5 so as to exclude foreign matter from said passageway. This cap may be formed of rubber, plastic, or other suitable resilient material, and said cap is provided with a lower, annular portion s! which snaps under the projections 23 of the element l6 to retain the cap in place on said element l6.

We claim:

1. A valve comprising a body portion provided with a circumferential wall and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having an aperture formed t-herethrough, an annular upstanding valve seat projected from said bottom wall, a diaphragm closure member secured at its margin and disposed within said body portion and making sealing contact with said valve seat, an elongated element disposed within said body portion and attached to saiddiaphrag-m closure member, said elongated element having a passageway/formed therethr-ough. which is maintained out of communication with said aperture by contactof said diaphragm closure member with said valve seat, a coil spring which tends to move said elongated element so as to cause said diaphragm closure member to tightly engage said valve seat, said diaphragm closure member being movable out of contact with said valve seat so as to cause said aperture to communicate with the passageway through said elongated element, guiding means for guiding said elongated element for movement longitudinally of said body portion, said guiding means comprising a member supported within said body portion in contact with saidcoil spring and having an opening formed therethrough through which said elongated lement extends for straight-line sliding movement, projections on said member which are received in recesses formed in said circumferential wall of said body portion, projections on said elongated element which are received in recessesformedin the wall of said opening of said member, and means screwthreadedly related to such circumferential wall of'said body portion for engaging said membar and maintaining itin position, and a shell Within said body portion which is engaged at its top by said 1 lember and which; engages themarr ginal' portion of said diaphragm elosuremember at the bottom of saidshell; for clamping said marginal portion of said diaphragm closure, member in place within said body portion.

2. A valve comprising a body'portion provided with a.circu-mferential wall and a bottom wall, said. bottom wall having an aperture formed therethrough, an annular upstanding valve seat projecting from said bottom wall, a diaphragm closure member secured at its margin and disingcontact with said valve seat,- an elongated element' disposed within: said body portion and attached to said diaphragm closure member, said elongated element having a passageway formed therethrough which, is maintained out of communication with said aperture by contact of said diaphragm closure member with said valve seat, a coil spring which tends to move saidelongated elementso as to cause said diaphragm closure memberto tightly engage said valve seat, said diaphragm closure member being movable out of contact with said valve seat so as to cause said aperture to: communicate with the passageway throughsaid elongated element, guiding means for; guiding said elongated element for movement longitudinally of said body portion, said guiding means comprising a member supported within said body portion in contact with said coil spring and having an opening formed therethrough through which said elongated element extends for straight-line sliding movement, projections on said member which are received in recesses formed in said circumferential Wall of said body portion, projections on said elongated element which are received in recesses formed in the wall of said opening of said member, and means screwthreadedly related to said circumferential wall of said body portion for engaging said member and maintaining it in position, and a shell within said body portion which is engaged at its top by said member and which is provided with a flange that engages the marginal portion of said diaphragm closure member at the bottom of said shell for clamping said marginal portion of said diaphragmsclosure member in place, within said body portion.

3. A valve comprising a body portion provided witha side wall and a bottom wall, said bottom W5 1: haiv 'aill p ii f med. theret r ll l a valve seat; projected from said bottom wall, a diaphrasmelosure m m er s re at it ma g n and disp sedwithin saidb dy p r i n nd. m ing sealing contact with said valve seat, an elongated elementdisposed within said body portion andattached to said diaphragm closure member, projections formed on said elongated element, said elongated element having a passageway formed therethrough which is maintained out of communication with said aperture by contact 01'; said diaphragm closure member with said valve seat, resilient means which tends to move said elongated element so as to cause said diaphragm closure member to tightly engage said valve seat, and a fitting which is operable to elevate said elongated element relative to the body portion of the valve so as to raise said diaphragm closure member from said valve seat and thereby place the passageway through said elongated element and said aperture in communication with each other, and an elongated member disposed in the passageway formed through said elongated element which engages the bottom wall of said body portion at one end and is adapted to be engaged at its opposite end by said fitting, said fitting-being provided with cam faces which engage sa-id projections of said elongated element and elevate said elongated element on movement of said fitting-.-

4; A valve-comprising a body portion provided with aside-wall and a bottom wall, said bottom wall-havingan aperture formed thereth-rough, a valve seat projected from said bottom wall, a

diaphragm closure member secured at its margin and disposed within said body portion and making sealing contact with said valve seat, an elongated element disposed within said body portion and attached. to said diaphragm closure mem ber, projections formed on said elongated element, said elongated element having a passageway formed therethrough which is maintained out of communication with said aperture by contact of said diaphragm closure member with said valve seat, a coil spring which tends to move said elongated element so as to cause said diaphragm closure member to tightly engaged said valve seat, a fitting which is operable to elevate said elongated element relative to the body portion of the valve so as to raise said diaphragm closure member from said valve seat and thereby place the passageway through said elongated element and said aperture in communication with each other, and. a stem disposed in the passageway formed through said elongated element which engages the bottom wall of said body portion at one end and is adapted to be engaged at its opposite end by said fitting, said fitting being provided with cam faces which engage said projections elongated element and elevate said elongated element on movement of said fitting. I

5. A valve comprising a body portion provided with a side wall and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having an aperture formed therethrough, a valve seat projected from said bottom wall, a diaphragm closure member secured at its margin and disposed within said body portion and making sealing contact with said valve seat, an elongated element disposed within said body portion. and attached to said diaphragm closure member, projections formed on said elongated element, said elongated element having a passageway formed therethr-ough which is maintained out of communication with said aperture by contact of said diaphragm closure member with said valve seat, a coil spring which tends to move said elongated element so as to cause said diaphragm closure member to tightly engaged said valve seat, a fitting which is operable to elevate said elongated element relative to the body portion of the valve so as to raise said diaphragm closure memher from said valve seat and thereby place the passageway through elongated element and said aperture in communication with each other, a stem disposed in the passageway formed through said elongated. element which engages the bottom wall of said body portion at one end and is adapted to be engaged at its opposite end by said fitting, and means for centering said stem within the passageway in which it is disposed, said fitting being provided with cam faces which engage said projections of said elongated element and elevate said elongated element on movement of said fitting.

6. A. valve comprising a body portion provided with a side wall and a bottom wall, said bottom wall. having an aperture formed therethrough, a valve seat projected from said bottom wall, a diaphragm closure member secured at its margin and disposed within said body portion and making sealing contact with said valve seat, an elongated element disposed within said body portion and attached to said diaphragm closure member, projections formed on said elongated element, said elongated element having a passageway formed therethrough which is maintained out of communication with said aperture by contact of said diaphragm closure member with said valve seat, a coil spring which tends to move said elongated element so as to cause said diaphragm closure member to tightly engage said valve seat, a fitting which is operable to elevate said elongated element relative to the body portion of the valve so as to raise said diaphragm closure member from said valve seat and thereby place the passageway through said elongated element and said aperture in communication with each other, a stem disposed in the passageway formed through said elongated element which engages the bottom wall of said body portion at one end and is adapted to be engaged at its opposite end by said fitting, and means for preventing said stem from being unintendedly displaced from the passageway in which it is disposed said fitting being provided with cam faces which engage said projections of said elongated element and elevate said elongated element on movement of said fitting.

7. A valve comprising a body portion provided with a side wall and a bottom wall, said bottom wall having an aperture formed th rethrough, a valve seat projected from said bottom wall, a diaphragm closure member secured at its margin and disposed within said body portion and making sealing contact with said valve seat, an elongated element disposed within said body portion and attached to said diaphragm closure member, projections formed on said elongated element, said elongated element having a passageway formed therethrough which is maintained out of communication with said aperture by contact of said diaphragm closure member with said valve seat, a coil spring which tends to move said elongated element so as to cause said diaphragm closure member to tightly en age said valve seat, a fitting which is operable to elevate said elongated element relative to the body portion of the valve so as to raise said diaphragm closure member from said valve seat and thereby place the passageway through said elongated element and said aperture in communication with each other, a stem disposed in the passageway formed through said elongated element which engages the bottom wall of said body portion at one end and is adapted to be engaged at its opposite end by said fitting, and means comprising a flange on said stem for preventing said stem from being unintendedly displaced from the passageway in which it is disposed, said fitting being provided with cam faces which engage said projections of said elongated element and elevate said elongated element on movement of said fitting.

ARTHUR J. FAUSEK. IRWING F. FAUSEK.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 486,501 Phillippi Nov. 22, 1892 783,528 Kipp Feb. 28, 1905 1,435,832 Fitzgerald Nov. 1%, 1922 1,472,366 Kelsey Oct. 30, 1923 1,608,618 Richards Nov. 30, 1926 1,962,740 Jaworowski June 12, 1934 1,994,958 Moffett Mar. 19, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 31,412 France July 10, 1923 760,852 France Dec. 27, 1933 

